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Fairy-Tale, Folklore and Fables
Title: The Empty Pot Author: Demi Genre: '''Diversity, Fable, Picture Story Book ' '''Summary:' When the Chinese emperor proclaims that his successor will be the child who grows the most beautiful flowers from the seeds the emperor distributes, Ping is overjoyed. Like the emperor, he loves flowers and anything he plants bursts into bloom. But the emperor's seed will not grow, despite months of loving care, and Ping goes before the emperor carrying only his empty pot. The emperor ignores the beautiful blossoms brought by the other children and chooses Ping, revealing that the seeds he handed out had been cooked and could not grow. Personal Reflection: I love the moral behind this story. Children need to learn that honesty is the best policy. Telling the truth will get you a lot further in life. Title: The Polar Bear Son (An Inuit Tale) Author: Lydia Dabcovich Genre: '''Diversity, Folklore, Picture Story Book ' '''Summary:' A lonely old Eskimo-Inuit woman adopts, cares for, and raises a polar bear as if he were her own son. The polar bear cub provides food for the old women as he grows up. That is until the men of the village grow jealous and threaten the bear's life, forcing him to leave his home. His mother is heart-broken but, will see ever see him again. Personal Reflection: '''This is a beautiful folktale, which is also very moving. It describes how the old lady who lives in the outskirts of town in a small hut. The old women struggles to survive and can only do so by at times having to accept food from her fellow villagers. She has no family, so she lives all alone. That is until she comes across a polar bear orphan. I love the diversity and moral behind the story. This is a great book to share with young readers. '''Title: The Magic Fish Author: Freya Littledale Genre: '''Fairytale, Picture Story Book ' '''Summary:' This is a well-illustrated fable! It tells the story of a fisherman who earns the respect of a magic fish through his own good-heartedness. He has no need for the reward of wishes, but his wife convinces him to ask the fish to change their hut to a house, which the fish seems happy to do. But then the wife continues to convince the fisherman to go ask the fish for more and more changes, until she is Queen of the land and wants to be Queen of the Sun and the Stars. Every time the fisherman goes to ask the fish for something else, the sea is stormier, although the fish says nothing. In the end, the fish decides that the wife has asked for too much, and takes away everything. Personal Reflection: '''This story is my personal favorite from my own childhood. I love the very detailed illustration. The book also gives an opportunity for a valuable discussion about why we do favors, and why we should be reasonable in our requests. It also tells us a lot about what it takes to be happy and sometimes we should be happy with what we have. '''Title: The Jolly Postman or Other People’s Letters Author: Janet and Allan Ahlberg Genre: Fairy Tale, Picture Story Book Summary: The Jolly Postman goes from home to home in a fairy-tale kingdom, delivering letters to such familiar addresses as "Mr. and Mrs. Bear, Three Bears Cottage, The Woods." Every other page is an actual envelope, with a letter tucked inside. The letter to the three bears, for instance, is from Goldilocks, who apologizes for the trouble she's caused and invites Baby Bear to her birthday party. The story of the postman's travels is told in charming verse; the pictures are delightful, full of clever detail; and the results are frequently hilarious. Personal Reflection: This is great story for young readers. It has a modern twist on famous fairy tales that keeps the children interested. I have seen this book delivery a lesson plan on how to write letters and the book made the lesson plan for all. Title: The Land of Stories- The Wishing Spell Author: Chris Colfer Genre: Fairy Tale, Series, Chapter Book Summary: Alex and Conner Bailey's world is about to change! The Land of Stories tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about. But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought. Personal Reflection: My son and I both fell in love with this fast-paced adventure. The book uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairy tales. This is a great fairy tale series of books. Title: The Tale of Despereaux Author: Kate DiCamilo Genre: Fiction, Chapter Book, Fairy Tale Summary: This story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish. These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other's lives. Personal Reflection: This is great story for independent readers about a mouse different from other mice. As he is born with his eyes opened. So he sees a beautiful world that the others are blind to, and he is shunned because of it. He is able to hear music, and he is able to love creatures of other races. A great lesson of compassion can be learned from this book. Title: Spirt Animals Book 1 Wild Born '' '''Author:' Brandon Mull Genre: Fiction, Folklore, Chapter Book, Series Summary: Four children separated by vast distances all undergo the same rituals watched by cloaked strangers. Four flashes of light erupt, and from them emerge the unmistakable shapes of incredible beasts; a wolf, a leopard, a panda, a falcon. Suddenly the paths of these children and the world have been changed forever. They enter the world of Erdas, where every child who comes of age must discover if they have a spirit animal, a rare bond between human and beast that bestows great powers to both. A dark force has risen from distant and long-forgotten lands, and has begun an onslaught that will ravage the world. Now the fate of Erdas has fallen on the shoulders of four young strangers . . . and on you. Personal Reflection: This is a great series book that children love reading. It is full of adventure and excitement on every page. Children like using the book series, to help them play a game to discover their spirit animal and join in with the adventure.